Nature's Wrath
by Caeci
Summary: Jack was chosen to be the Guardian of Winter, the king of snow and ice. But what about the other three seasons? Pitch's jailbreak hastened the escape of two others locked away to be forgotten. The Guardians must fight (with an old friend) against the forces of nature themselves in order to prevent the world's balance from tipping too far once more.
1. Just Dropping In

Well, this is it. My big return to Fan Fiction after a few years off. This is an idea I've had for a couple weeks and decided to take a shot at publishing it. This story will involve a few original characters, just a heads up if that's not really your "thing."

I do not own Rise of the Guardians, which is why I'm writing fan fiction and not writing the script for Guardians 2

Edit: As of 9/24/2017, about two and a half years after this story was first published, the first chapter has been edited and revised. Reading back, I realized that not only did I unintentionally start digging myself a shallow plot hole grave, but that my writing skills had improved enough over the years that I knew I could do much better. So readers both old and new, please enjoy!

* * *

Being a Guardian of Childhood was definitely a far cry from being a renowned troublemaker and trickster spirit. Of course, Jack also nearly single handedly controlled winter itself and was responsible for practically the entire season, but that was secondary in his mind to spreading fun.

Jack brightened as he suddenly remembered that he had plans to hang out with Jamie next week, as school was due to end and summer vacation was just on the horizon. He mentally started making a list of all the things they could do together.

"Jack?" It was Bunnymund's call that snapped him out of his impromptu brainstorming session. "Stop drifting off in the middle of our meetings!"

Jack was so startled he nearly fell off his careful perch atop his staff, but he was able to regain his balance before he fell. He mumbled out an apology, looking slightly sheepish as he tuned back into the conversation.

The pooka rolled his eyes at the winter spirit's antics, but he still had a good-natured grin on his face. "Anyway, as I was saying, I think we should be a little more on guard."

"What do you mean, Bunny?" Toothiana asked.

"I don't know, I've just… got a feelin'." He shrugged, not able to put his exact concerns into words. "Look, I listen to my instincts and they're tellin' me somethin's off. Can't put my paw on it."

North and Toothiana traded looks. North was the first to speak. "Bunny, I seem to remember last 'feeling' you had you ran out of purple dye."

"It was a bloody disaster!" Bunny immediately defended. "You try paintin' Easter Eggs without purple!"

"Be that as it may" Toothiana interrupted patiently before he could go on a long rant about egg painting (again). "Are you sure that it's something… serious?"

The pooka's ears suddenly dropped back against his skull. "I… don't know."

Jack decided that he needed a little moral support, so he floated over to Bunny and put a hand on his furry shoulder. "Hey, I'm sure that if Bunny-"

Cutting himself off, Jack's eyes widened as a familiar filling filled his mind.

"Jack? You alright?" North's heavy brows were knitted together in concern as the winter spirit's face had suddenly frozen.

Just like with Bunny's instincts, there was no way for Jack to put the feeling into words. However, in his case, he knew exactly what was causing it. Instead of responding, Jack turned all his focus inward as he focused on the feeling. The moment he paid attention to it, it merely grew, until it was almost tangible. Wrapping his mental hands around an imaginary rope, he pulled.

Screech!

Eyes turned upwards as a barn owl, its white feathers nearly glowing in the moonlight swooped down through the open skylight. North, Toothiana, and her fairies immediately slipped into offensive positions, while Jack, Bunny, and Sandy merely stood and waited.

Bunny took the initiative in defusing the situation as the owl swooped down on one of the rafters and settled down. "Stand down, she's a friend."

"What?" Toothiana was thoroughly puzzled, but he didn't answer her question. Instead, the owl once more took flight and dive bombed the floor… only to explode into a swirling mass of leaves. Brown, red, and golden yellow leaves of all shape and size twisted around in a formless shape for a few moments before coalescing into a rough, humanoid figure. One of the nearby yetis grabbed one of the deep red leaves out of curiosity, only for it to suddenly snatch itself out of its fingers and rejoin its brethren.

The leaves compacted even further until the figure was complete. It was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, though it was highly unlikely that she was actually as young as she looked. Her spirit status was immediately betrayed not only from the show of magic, but also from her slightly pointed ears and mass of unnaturally copper hair pulled up into a messy ponytail. Gleaming scarlet eyes flickered around, taking in both the workshop and those gathered there.

Tooth's nose twitched as she sniffed the air, her attention diverted for the moment away from the newcomer. "Does anyone else smell that?"

"Pumpkins and bonfires" Bunnymund answered easily. "You'll get used to it."

Sandy waved his arms to gain the attention of Toothiana and North. A golden symbol of a leaf floated above his head, followed by a quick succession of images including a Jack O'Lantern, an apple, a tree with full leaves and finally another tree with bare branches.

Smoothing down her dark red and brown skirt, the girl headed over towards Jack and immediately threw her arms around him, drawing attention to the fact that they were around the same height.

"Thanks for letting me in" She said, her face slightly muffled where it was pushed into the crook of his shoulder.

"Hey, no problem" Jack shrugged when she released him, smiling broadly. "It's been a while since we've had to do that, huh?"

"Yeah, definitely." She agreed. The excited look on her face started to bleed away into one of confusion.

"So, what is it, Ash?" Jack prompted.

"I… uh… I came here for a reason." The spirit, whose name was apparently Ash, insisted. For a moment, she picked uneasily at the hem of her midriff-baring dark orange shirt and readjusted the elbow-length sleeves. The wooden piece anchored to the shirt, resembling a branching tree, was slightly shifted in the process so it once more laid flat and centered on her chest. "I think I had a whole speech planned out… I think?"

"Just relax, it'll come to you." Jack insisted. From the way he easily reacted to the sudden lapse of memory, this was a fairly common occurrence.

"Um… It was… Something…" Letting out a frustrated sigh, she threw her hands up in the air. "I can't remember!"

"Hey, it'll come when it'll come." Jack said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Right now, how about I introduce you to the rest of the Guardians?"

It was at that moment that Ash seemed to realize exactly where she was. Her red eyes widened in slight shock and her mouth dropped open. Snapping it shut with a soft click, she blushed bright red.

"Ash, I believe you know Bunny?"

The pooka waved. "Been a while, Ash, you missed our last sparrin' session."

"I did? I'm sorry." She immediately apologized. "I'll make it up to you next time."

"And this is Toothiana, Nicholas St. North, and Sandy" Jack finished the introductions.

"Uh… hi." Ash gave a little wave. "I'm Ash, Spirit of Fall and Jack's big sister."

"I did not know you had sister!" North suddenly boomed, stepping forward to grab one of Ash's hands tightly and shake it in greeting enthusiastically. "You are most welcome to my workshop!"

"It's very nice to meet you." Toothiana surged forward once North had let her go, and Ash suddenly found herself mobbed fairies. Jack managed to stop her before Tooth shoved her fingers in his sister's mouth. "Oh, your teeth are just beautiful! Not as pretty as Jack's, but close."

Ash blinked twice. "Thank… you?"

"You're welcome!" Toothiana chirped.

Sandy merely inclined his head in greeting, a gesture that she returned. They'd never spoken directly, but the Sandman had waved at her from time to time if she happened to be out while he was spreading dreams.

"Perhaps you would like tour of workshop?" North offered. "And perhaps some hot cocoa and cookies?"

"Jack!" Ash's sudden yell made the Guardians jump in surprise. She paid no mind to their reactions as she whirled towards her brother. "I remember!"

"You do? What is it?"

"I've been trying to find you for two weeks." Her words were coming out in a frantic rush. "Jack, Dawn and Prima escaped."

Jack somehow managed to get even paler than he was normally. "They what?! How?!"

"I don't know, I think… I think that they might have had help." Ash bit her lip nervously. "I think it might have been Pitch."

"Excuse me!" Bunny suddenly interrupted. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Dawn and Primavera, the spirits of Summer and Spring, they escaped their prison… I guess they thought that with Pitch on the loose they'd have a greater chance or maybe he broke them out, I don't know."

The Guardians winced at that. Pitch's escape had come out of nowhere nearly five months prior. One day he'd been locked away in his lair turned jail, and the next he had vanished. There was no grand plan, no sudden surge of power, he'd just disappeared into the woodwork. Of course, the Guardians had been searching for him from the moment they'd learned of his escape, though all efforts had been fruitless.

North gave a half-hearted chuckle. "But that is impossible! We would have known if something went wrong! Man in Moon would-"

"Not this time." Ash interrupted sharply. "Not with those two."

"I don't understand." Toothiana admitted. "I thought Spring and Summer were benevolent?"

"Not many know the truth." Bunnymund explained. "Only those of us that have connections either to their season or have all the good eggs and bad eggs' name written down in a big bloody book." He cast a pointed glance towards North, who looked decidedly smug that fact. "Truth is, those girls are about as nasty as you can get. Summer only likes the heat and tends to burn out those she's supposed to protect. And Spring, she doesn't like humans because she doesn't like how they treat her precious plants and animals."

"Oh" It took a moment for the Tooth Fairy to absorb that information. "And now that they're free… What are they going to do?"

The two seasonal spirits traded glances as they both flashed back to what had happened prior to Dawn and Prima's imprisonment. It was Jack who spoke, a solemn tone in his voice. "Most likely? The same thing that put them in prison in the first place."

Ash nodded in agreement. "They're going to try to steal our powers."

* * *

Look, it's only been one chapter and I already have villains, a new protagonist, and an impending conflict. Let's see how this adventure unravels together, shall we?


	2. Should've Left When You Had the Chance

I LIVE!

I'm not going to lie... I kind of forgot I started writing this story. I wrote the first chapter and an outline and then other things came along and stole my attention... For a year and a half.

Sorry...

So, this chapter is dedicated to DConan010, who followed this story so I got an e-mail alert reminding me that this still existed.

Thank you!

Oh, and uh... I obviously still don't own Rise of the Guardians, I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

* * *

"What do you mean, _steal_?" Toothiana spluttered, her feathers ruffling a bit both from surprise and indignation at the mere idea. "Can… can spirits even _do_ that?"

"Pitch took belief away from us and used it for his own gain." Bunnymund pointed out.

North shook his head. "Is not the same. Pitch spread fear, _original_ belief he created, not transferring ours to him. Putting one's power into another should be _impossible_."

Jack rolled his eyes as he looked to his new companion. "They're just not getting it."

"Not at all" Ash agreed with an exasperated shake of her head. "You're all missing one very important fact."

"We're seasonal spirits."

The other Guardians all slowly turned their heads towards the youngest two spirits in the room as comprehension dawned on their features. North smacked his head in realization while muttering a quiet _'Of course!'_

"We're a bit different than you… gift giving, tooth stealing, and dream weaving types." Ash explained vaguely, her crimson eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Seasonal spirits can kind of… loan our powers to each other." Jack continued. "It's meant for those parts of the year where one season turns into the other, when you can't quite tell where one season begins and the other ends."

"Or for when we have duties elsewhere, but it _really_ needs to snow in a specific part of the world." Ash added. "But it's an ability we rarely ever use."

Jack nodded. "But it means that one seasonal spirit can take the abilities of another."

The others were still in a state of dumfounded shock, trying to absorb all of the information that had just been dropped onto them.

"So…" Tooth was the first to break the silence. "Summer and Spring are coming after you? I… wasn't aware there was more than one seasonal spirit. No offense." She immediately turned to Ash, eyes wide as she realized her blunder.

The redhead merely shrugged. "None taken. The only reason Bunnymund knows I exist is because I accidentally dropped into his burrow once… Okay, more than once… Over a dozen times, but it's his fault for making holes everywhere!"

Jack prodded her on the shoulder with his staff. "Ash, focus."

She shook her head. "Sorry, sorry, erm… Anyway, us three _other_ seasons don't really… well, do anything to warrant anyone making legends about us. Dawn and Primavera weren't really… free to roam that long before they were locked away."

"They were always a bit… protective of their seasons. And then they both went cuckoo" Jack said solemnly.

"Extremely cuckoo" Ash corrected. "Dawn tried to burn you alive, Jack."

"Primavera tried to bury you underground."

"It didn't_ work_."

"Children!" North interrupted, his booming voice breaking the argument before it began and bringing their attention back to the others present in the room. "We get picture, Summer and Spring dangerous. Now we must go to stop them, yes?"

Ash blinked a couple of times in surprise. "We?" She laughed a bit. "Sorry, you must have misunderstood this whole… exchange. I'm just here to pick up Jack."

"If they're as dangerous as you say they are, it's our duty to help." Toothiana frowned. "Abilities like theirs… and yours… could potentially be a threat to the children of the world."

"Which is why we're going to stop them now" Ash said. "Like, right now. Before things get out of hand. Jack and I can handle them on their own. They're still weak from imprisonment and I _know_ where their first stop is going to be."

"Great! You will tell us location and we will take sleigh!" North boomed, already sweeping out of the room.

"Wait, no!" Ash called out after him. "WE DID NOT AGREE TO THIS!"

"I CANNOT HEAR YOU!" North yelled back as Bunnymund, Sandy, and Tooth all followed.

Ash groaned and leaned over, hitting her forehead on Jack's bony shoulder over and over again in an act of complete exasperation. "Your new friends are just…"

"I agree." Jack patted the top of her head consolingly. "We should have snuck out when we had the chance."

"I should have just kidnapped you." Ash mumbled in response. "Wait, no, that wouldn't have worked. Then they would have come after me thinking I was the villain and then there would be this whole misunderstanding about who was _really_ evil when we were just trying to stop the real bad guys the whole time."

Jack just waited patiently for her to finish ranting. "Well, we're lucky that didn't happen. Now we just have _back up_. Such a terrifying thought."

"Don't sass me, Frost, I'll mess you up." Straightening again, she sighed as she started following North's path. "We'd better hurry or they'll _really_ think I kidnapped you."

{}

He had been fifty years old when he discovered he wasn't alone.

Okay, well, he knew that he wasn't the _only_ spirit. He'd seen the tooth fairies out collecting teeth, he'd seen leprechauns at the end of rainbows, he'd seen Santa delivering presents, and a slew of others.

He was fifty when he discovered he wasn't the only seasonal spirit out there.

She was sitting alone in the middle of a meadow that had recently defrosted, green dress made of different leaves and lashed together with vines draped over her form, and hair of a grayish brown that reminded him sharply of tree bark. Jack thought she was just an eccentric mortal girl until she waved her hands and a field of dandelions burst out of the ground where once there had only been grass.

Eager to meet someone new, he stepped out to introduce himself. "Hey!"

He'd barely made it a step before his ice cold tracks started to freeze the ground and the weeds started to die.

The girl jumped up to her feet in an instant, her pale green eyes burning with an anger he'd rarely seen. "What have you done?!" she screeched. If she hadn't been screeching and spitting at him, he was sure her voice would probably sound quite pleasant.

Jack immediately took a step back, hands raising in apology. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I'm… I'm Jack Frost… Spirit of Winter?"

She huffed, crossing her tanned arms. "Primavera, Spirit of Spring"

"It's… nice to meet you? I've never met anyone like me before. Well, seasonal spirit anyway"

She merely frowned deeper, her eyes narrowing further. "Hmph. Of course you're new. Only a _newborn_ wouldn't be able to control himself long enough to keep his powers in check."

"Hey now, there's no need to-"

"You should leave now." Primavera dismissed him. "I'm extremely busy, _unlike you_. Go bother Summer or Fall."

"There are… more of us?"

"Two more. I just said that. Now leave."

Primavera turned her back, her attention changing to the hibernating trees around her as she started to pour her power into their roots. Jack stayed only long enough to see buds forming on the ends of the branches before he decided to leave before she yelled at him again.

And he thought Spring was supposed to be about hope, rebirth, and happiness.

It turned out Spring was a bit of a grouch.

Who knew?

* * *

Yes, Jack, who knew? When I first started planning this story, I just liked the whole idea of an antithesis with the usual portrayals of summer and spring entities. Next time, we can expect more exposition, both in the 'present' and in Jack's past. Yippee.


	3. Fun? In the Sun

And here we are with chapter three, where more of the seasonal spirit's story you will see. I don't know why I feel the need to rhyme that. Don't mind me, just trying to make these author comments more interesting than they actually are.

* * *

When Bunnymund had reluctantly climbed into the sleigh, ears folded back against his head in anticipation of the terror that was to come, Ash had burst out laughing.

And she hadn't quite stopped.

In fact, Jack had physically picked her up by the waist and placed her in the sleigh while she was still in the throes of her laughing fit. Every once in a while, she'd manage to get out a few words such as '_afraid of a sleigh'_ or _'Big, bad, Bunnymund terrified of a little altitude, who knew?'_

"I'm _so_ glad yer enjoying this!" the Easter Bunny shouted in response.

"Of _course_ I'm enjoying this!" The fall spirit's laughter finally died down and she wiped the tears out of her eyes with the yellow sash tied around her waist. "I consider this revenge for all those times I got stuck in your tunnels."

He opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. "… Fair enough"

At this point, Santa had clambered up into the 'pilot's seat', grabbing the reins firmly in both hands. Toothiana and her few fairies descended down and took a seat next to Bunnymund closer to the floor of the sleigh. Ash and Jack were the brave ones, sitting right at the top of the tiered seating. Sandy was taking the literal middle ground, chuckling soundlessly at Ash and Jack's antics.

"This is going to be _fantastic_" Ash grinned widely as she settled down, waiting eagerly for the sleigh to start moving.

"You have _no_ idea."

"On a scale from one to Coney Island?"

"Coney Island"

"_Fantastic_" she reiterated, nearly vibrating from excitement.

The two 'young' spirits didn't notice Toothiana watching them fondly. Jack was also a free, lighthearted spirit, and it was good to know that he had someone close who encouraged, even fed off and contributed to his happiness. She worried for the winter spirit. He had been a child when he had turned, despite his numerous whining rants about 'sixteen being close to adulthood, I'm _not_ a kid'. And from the looks of it, Ash had been barely any older than he when she was turned.

The implications of that nearly brought tears to Toothiana's eyes, but a well-timed crack of the reins from North roused her out of her melancholy.

Judging by the whoops of glee coming from the back of the sleigh, Ash was not disappointed by the makeshift rollercoaster. Bunnymund's feelings toward it hadn't improved, in fact, he seemed even worse off than he did the last time. By the time they were safely out in the air, he was clinging to the railing so hard he was carving grooves in the wood from his claws.

"I require destination!" North shouted from the front. Jack immediately flew off of his perch and towards the front, grabbing the glowing snow globe that he was offered. After concentrating for a moment, he threw the orb out into the sky and a swirling portal appeared. Everyone in the sleigh braced themselves as they slammed through the whirling pool of light.

"Where… where _are_ we?" Tooth blinked a couple of times in surprise from the sudden change. Her feathers ruffled as she registered the pervading heat and humidity.

"Summer's Isle" Ash replied, a grim set to her mouth. "Dawn's hunting grounds"

Jack plopped down beside her heavily as North decreased the speed of the sleigh, searching for someplace to land. "I forgot how much I hated this place."

Ash nodded in reply, but her scarlet eyes were scanning the island paradise sprawled below them. Dawn's home was literally an isolated island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, a jungle haven where the Spirit of Summer could create as much heat as she wanted. Not that it stopped her from occasionally wreaking havoc around the world when she had still been active, of course.

Jack had only been to Summer's Isle once, and once was _definitely_ enough for him.

"You remembering the meeting too?" Ash asked, still not making eye contact with him.

"Yeah…" he replied sheepishly, drawing looks of curiosity and concern from Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy.

"Meeting?" Bunny interjected.

Jack smiled. "Yeah, us seasonal spirits had meetings too. Not nearly as often as us Guardians, but they still happened. We used to meet up in different places, and once we came here since Dawn refused to leave. It… wasn't pretty."

"Understatement of the year, Jack" Ash added, finally turning to the occupants of the sleigh. "She spent the entire time screaming at me and Jack about the Sahara Desert. Come on, Jack makes it snowin the desert and it's a travesty against nature. Then I tried to explain to her that it's completely feasible with the way that the environment functions even _without_ the influence of our magic, and she just starts screaming louder. Of course, we had to get out of there pretty quickly after that."

"Ash, that's because you decked her in the face."

She opened her mouth to protest, but then she remembered. "I did do that. Huh. I'd forgotten about that. _That_ was fun."

"You… forgot that you fought a Summer spirit?" Toothiana's eyes were wide.

Bunny chuckled and leaned over to the Tooth Fairy while the seasonal spirits went off on a tangent of their own. "Ash is a bit of a scatterbrain. Forgets things pretty easily unless she's reminded. She forgot my name once and spent an entire day calling me Thumper until she remembered."

"That's… that's horrible."

Bunny nodded slightly. "It can be a bit of a challenge, but she makes up for it in other ways. That girl's whipcord smart and scarier than a cobra when she sets her mind to it."

"You'd never think… looking at her."

"That's the thing with spirits, isn't it? Looks can be deceiving."

Sandy hopped up and down before pointing at Jack.

"Sandy's right" Bunny grinned. "Just look at all Jack's done."

{}

It was at age sixty two that Jack met his second seasonal spirit. After his encounter with Primavera, the less than friendly Spirit of Spring, he'd kept a lookout for those like them. However, seasonal spirits proved to be _very_ good at being elusive.

Much like when he found Primavera, he stumbled across the Spirit of Summer completely by accident. He'd been visiting one of the beaches in California when he'd spotted her. The heat was bothering him already, but he was willing to suffer through for the sheer novelty of visiting a beach that wasn't just pebbles and ice water.

As he'd walked, he noticed that the heat was gradually increasing in temperature. It took him a few moments to realize that it wasn't natural, so he continued forward cautiously. Soon, he came across the blonde girl standing in the middle of the beach. Her hair was platinum blonde, her tanned skin only accentuated by the white halter-type top she was wearing and the pale yellow skirt swishing around her legs. Once he'd gotten close enough, she had whipped her head towards him, bright yellow eyes narrowed at him with something akin to anger in her eyes.

"_You_" she'd hissed. In any other circumstance, her face would have been the fodder for countless poets, painters, and sculptors in its beauty. But now, her mouth was curled into a snarl and her nose was wrinkled with distaste. The pure fury in her eyes was so powerful he physically took a step back.

That didn't stop her from striding forward. Heat was rolling off of her in waves, easily penetrating the aura of cold that always surrounded him.

"Prima told me there was a Winter Spirit running around." She spat harshly. "And lo and behold, here you are, _ruining everything you touch_."

Jack's pale blue eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what? I… I haven't done anything to you!"

"You can't lie to me, _Jack Frost_." The way she said his name made it seem like a curse. "You're doing it now, _ruining my heat_."

"By… existing?"

"_Yes_"

He forced a smirk on his face, despite _really_ wanting to run away right now. He wasn't about to let her win. "That's a little rude, you don't even know me. Heck, I don't even know your name."

"And it'll stay that way." She took a step back. "You aren't worth the sand under my feet, Jack Frost. You'd better stick to your own continents. Maybe Antarctica? You're less likely to ruin _everything you touch_ there."

Jack swallowed heavily, but he wasn't about to let his mask of indifference shatter. "I… well then, I can see where I'm not wanted. I'll catch you later, blondie."

Before she could spit out another insult at him, he took to the air and flew north as quickly as possible.

* * *

Don't worry, Dawn's not going to get away with insulting Jack _that_ easily. Next chapter, the last of the 'Meeting of the Spirits', which will certainly involve a hell of a lot more quips and jokes rather than scathing insults.

Oh, and Pitch will definitely be showing up in this story soon. Bad guys always end up teaming up sooner or later.


	4. Jack's Totally Blaming This One on Pitch

Hey there readers, long time no see! *Surreptitiously checks calendar* It's been... *Attempts to do mental math and gives up almost immediately* a few weeks since I've last updated this story.

For some reason listening to Hamilton somehow gave me the push to finish writing this chapter?

I have no idea why, but I'm not one to question the power of Broadway.

* * *

"_There!_"

Jack barely managed to grab Ash by the hem of her skirt before she took off out of the sleigh, not seeming to care about how high they were exactly. She turned to him, her red eyes already shining with that familiar look of anger that always seemed to be there whenever she dealt with their fellow seasonal spirits. "I _saw_ Dawn! We can't let her amass enough power to-"

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" North shouted from the front. They barely had time to fall into the relative safety of the sleigh before a _massive_ gout of flame tore over their heads… right where Ash and Jack had been standing.

With a crack of the reins, the sleigh started to descend as the occupants managed to untangle themselves from each other. Both Tooth and Jack took the air, eyes scanning for their assailant. Jack saw her first… and she wasn't even trying to hide. He suppressed that slight tingle of fear he felt when he saw her glowing yellow eyes blazing.

They hadn't been fast enough.

Dawn had managed to soak up enough latent energy from the earth to recharge her powers back to full, and from the looks of the fireball she was gathering in her hands, she wasn't going to hold back. Jack led the way down towards the white, sandy beach where Dawn was standing with Tooth and her fairies flitting behind him.

"Long time, no see!" Jack shouted as he dodged a ball of fire she had lobbed straight at him.

"_Jack Frost!"_

It seemed that her years in captivity had done _nothing_ to quell Dawn's relentless hatred of Jack… On second thought, it seemed that her years in captivity had _tripled_ Dawn's relentless hatred of Jack.

He'd definitely seen that one coming.

"Well, she's already angry." Jack shot a smirk towards a shocked Tooth. "That's good."

"How is that _good_?" she asked, her tone frantic.

"Because the madder she gets, the worse her aim!" he commented just in time to dodge another fireball. Touching down on the sand about fifty feet from the livid spirit, he brought his staff up in a defensive position.

"Hey there Dawn!" he greeted with a cheeky smile. "How've you been? I hear prison's _lovely_ this time of year."

The Summer Spirit practically glowed with anger, only emphasized by the flickers of heat haze emanating off of her skin. "_I will rip you apart!"_

"Nice to hear you're doing well. I'm sure you've had a lovely vacation, but I'm afraid you're going to have to go back to prison now."

Dawn smile was more… manic than he was used to. Yeesh. Prison really does change a person. Before either he or Toothiana could move forward, Dawn clapped her hands together. A burst of light and fire sent him reeling backwards, Toothiana scrambling to grab him before he flew too far. By the time he'd opened his eyes again, he was wincing from the sudden onslaught of heat.

"Are you alright, Jack?" Tooth's voice was soft and laced with concern as her hands flittered across his torso and arms, looking for any sign of permanent injury.

The winter spirit tried to give one of his trademark grins to reassure her, but it came off as more of a grimace. Especially since he could plainly see that Dawn had disappeared. Shaking off Tooth's grip, he padded over silently towards where she had been. Already, her influence was starting to fade and ice crystals were starting to form between the grains of sand beneath his feet.

Right where Dawn had been standing lay a perfectly intact circle of pure black sand.

"This… _cannot_ be good."

{}

"Ash!"

Bunny's indignant shouts went unheard as the Fall spirit took off right when the sleigh had come to an unsteady landing further down the beach. He'd managed to swipe out a paw and grab at the fabric of her skirt to keep her in place, but she slipped out of his fingers. Literally, as she exploded into a torrent of multicolored leaves just as she had done with her entrance into the Pole.

The tumultuous pile flew forwards into the dense jungle, the browns, reds, and golds standing out starkly against the lush green background. North and Sandy almost immediately lost track of her. Even if her progress was easy to track with the eyes from the color, didn't mean it was easy to physically follow. Fortunately, Bunnymund was a born runner.

Taking off into the forest, the pooka kept an easy pace behind the ever shifting cloud. After calling out a few times, he'd eventually given up on stopping her verbally and resigned himself to simply following in her… "footsteps".

However, the race was cut short as Ash exploded out into a clearing dominated by a singular tree. The tree was a massive affair, made even larger by the presence of platforms, bridges, staircases, and the like forming a treehouse haven. Bunnymund slowed to a stop as Ash's leaves suddenly compacted until a large barn owl took form.

Stretching out her wings briefly, the fall spirit took flight up, following the path of a staircase and investigating every window of the home.

There was no sign of Primavera… apart from a trail of black sand leading under a hammock.

Frustrated, Ash let out a harsh screech as she swooped down, landing on Bunny's shoulder. Feathers puffing up in irritation, Bunny winced as he felt her razor sharp talons dig into his skin a little.

"Calm down Sheila" he admonished gently, reaching up and patting her on the head in an attempt to soothe her. "We'll find them."

{}

Jack had spent over two decades wondering about the existence of the last seasonal spirit. What they looked like, what their name was, how they acted… Curiosity was burning him from the inside out. Or rather, freezing him from the inside out.

The only thing he knew about the last spirit was that they were the seasonal spirit of Fall.

He still found himself speculating. He'd hoped that they were… different than the other two he'd met, maybe more like him. Spring was completely focused on her plants and took the destruction of even _one_ flower as a personal offense, treating him with a cold detachment that was unsettling. Summer was an angry, angry spirit who felt threatened by any action, even friendly ones. And Fall was… a mystery.

Jack paced around his pond, idly throwing out new designs onto the permanently frozen surface. "Maybe Fall's a bad guy… some… evil force that is barely spoken about. Or maybe they're just _really_ reclusive… Or crazy. I _really_ hope they're not crazy." His eyes were suddenly drawn to a flash of white as a pale owl settled onto the branches of a nearby tree.

"_Hoo"_ it called out, its body expanding briefly with the call.

"The Fall Spirit" he grinned, leaning on his staff. "I haven't met them yet. I don't even know if they're male or female or… even _human_." He added as an afterthought, recalling the times he'd glimpsed the Easter Bunny from afar.

"_Hoo"_

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't speculate. I don't want to build up any expectations or anything. Especially considering how well my first meetings with Spring and Summer went._ Yikes_. And people say _I'm_ cold."

"_Hoo hoo hoo"_

His smile widened at the owl. "Find that funny, did you?"

"_Hoo"_

"Great, now I think _I'm_ turning into the crazy one, talking to an owl." He muttered to himself, kicking at a stray pebble.

"Oh, you're _definitely_ not the crazy one."

Jack was so startled that he slipped on the ice, falling right onto his rear end and nearly cracking the ice underneath him. His pale blue eyes darted up to see that the owl had disappeared… and in its place was a young redheaded woman in a dark red skirt and top. Even in the moonlight, he could make out the bright scarlet of her eyes.

She hadn't moved from her place sitting idly on the branch, one pale leg swinging down with her bare toes pointing at the ground. Paying no mind to his dumbfounded expression, she continued. "I mean, all of us seasonal spirits are a little… well. You know. I mean, I'm not claiming to be the pinnacle of mentally sound, but whatever I am still doesn't hold a candle to Primavera and Dawn."

"You… you're… _you're_ the Fall Spirit?" he managed to splutter, clambering to his feet.

"Guilty as charged" she replied. "Which means that I'm more than qualified to pass judgement on our fellow spirits' questionable sanity, especially since I've been stuck with them longer than you have. A century? I think? Er… Don't… don't exactly remember." Her nose scrunched up slightly in concentration.

"I uh… well… I'm Jack, Jack Frost. And you are?"

"Nice to meet you, Jack!" she chirped brightly as she hopped off of her branch, landing just as soundlessly as he would. Striding forward, she stuck out a hand that he took with a bemused smile. "My name is… uh…" she trailed off and bit her lip.

Jack tilted his head slightly to the side. "You… don't remember?"

"I do!" she insisted. "It's on the tip of my tongue… uh… it's like… the name of a tree."

"Oak?"

"No, that's not it."

"Pine?"

She shook her head, still not having released his hand. "No, that name seems more… _you_ than me for some reason. Fir maybe? No, that's _stupid_."

"I'm… sure you'll get it?" he smiled, trying to figure out the best way to extricate himself from the handshake.

"Oh!" she brightened immediately and shook his hand with new fervor. "My name's Aspen Smoke!"

"Well Aspen Smoke, it's nice to finally meet you."

* * *

Aspen Smoke? Get it? It's a pun? 'Cause her... her preferred name is Ash?

I'm funny, I swear.

No I'm not, that's a lie.

Fun fact, Smoke actually comes from Smokebush, which like the Aspen tree is _ridiculously_ beautiful in the fall.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

P.S. I couldn't resist slipping in a Chris Pine joke. It was practically _begging_ to be written.


	5. Because Truth or Dare Doesn't Exist Yet

For some reason, this chapter was a nightmare to write. Apparently question games between strangers are not my forte. But,I managed to muddle through it, so we have a chapter!

Enjoy!

* * *

The sleigh ride back to the workshop was terse and quiet. Most of the ill will was originating from a grumpy hedgehog sitting on Jack's lap that had previously been an owl that had previously been Ash. Every so often, one of the adult Guardians would send worried glances at the duo. Even North had looked away from his reindeer in order to check on them.

By the time they'd returned to the Pole, Ash had taken a spot on Jack's shoulder.

"It is getting late." North let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck to hopefully rid it of the lingering tension from the stress of battle. "I have rooms prepared for everyone. Perhaps it is best if we… talk in the morning, yes?"

"That's a wonderful idea." Toothiana clasped her hands together. "But I really should be returning to my palace, I've been away for too long as it is."

Sandy nodded, a series of images flashing over his head agreeing with her. He did have dreams to spread after all.

"I'll stay." Bunnymund volunteered, not so subtly looking at the sullen seasonal spirits. "Someone needs to keep an eye on them."

Sandy and Toothiana departed without much fuss or circumstance at that point. North _had_ intended on conversing with the younger spirits, perhaps even pawning off some fruit cake. But one of the Yetis had run up to him with a frantic look in his eyes, gesturing wildly, his words all slurring together from the speed. He too left, disappearing into the twisting hallways of his workshop.

That just left Bunnymund. He watched with a bit of apprehension as Jack set Ash down on the ground, where she was stomping her tiny little paws in an irritated manner.

"Are you done with the silent treatment yet?" Jack inquired, leaning on his staff.

The tiny creature stilled for a moment before settling down. A nod confirmed that she was finally done.

"Good, now let's – NO!" Jack shouted as one of the elves grabbed the tiny hedgehog and hoisted it into the air proudly with a warlike cry.

The singular elf was soon joined by several others, all of them chanting and running in a circle. The interference from them was enough to keep Jack at bay from the elf holding onto Ash.

"Stop that" Bunnymund snapped, striding over and plucking the hedgehog out of the elf's grip, to their disappointment. One of them even burst into tears, though he was quickly distracted by a nearby piece of tinsel.

The pooka shook his head as he kept Ash in his palms. "You might wanna change back or else they'll just come after you again."

Ash gave no warning before she disintegrated into a stream of leaves that fell out of his hands, pooling onto the floor at his feet. Taking a step back out of courtesy, Bunnymund gave her enough room to reform. "You alright?"

The fall spirit nodded, letting out a slow breath. "I'm good." Her brow suddenly furrowed and her eyes drifted down towards the crimson terrors that were hiding behind various pieces of furniture around the room. "Are those… elves?"

"They don't actually make the toys." Jack replied, moving to stand next to her.

"What? But-"

"It's the yetis that do it." Jack continued, thoroughly enjoying the dumbstruck look on her face. It wasn't that often that he knew something she didn't. "They just make the elves _think_ they do. And the uneducated masses, of course." He shot a grin her way.

"Hardy har, very funny Frost." She couldn't help but return the smile. Oh, she knew what he was doing. Using humor to distract her was his oldest trick in his book. Right along with icing her feet to the floor when she wasn't looking so she could never catch him when they played tag.

"I think so, _Smoke_." His smile widened as he cast a look around the room. "Ugh, I don't know about you but I'm _starving_."

Ash nodded. "Yeah… I can't remember the last time I ate."

Bunny snorted. "Like that's unusual."

Jack frowned, about to snap back with a scathing comment, but Ash merely smiled and laughed. The winter spirit relaxed minutely, but the action definitely didn't go unnoticed by Bunny. The pooka turned his green eyes to Jack and tilted his head slightly, trying to communicate '_she's my friend too'_ without saying it aloud. Placated for now, Jack turned his attention back to Ash.

"Come on, I'll show you the way to the kitchen. Oh! And I'll introduce you to Phil too!"

Bunnymund followed the two with a roll of his eyes.

[]

"So… You ask a question, I answer it, and then I get to ask a question you have to answer?" Aspen clarified, her head tilted slightly to the side.

Jack nodded eagerly, his grin wide and open. "Yeah! So we can get to know each other better."

"Alright, then ask away" she returned the smile. The two spirits were sitting cross legged in front of each other in the middle of Jack's pond. It had been a couple of days since they had first met, since Aspen had to take care of some 'seasonal business' and had to leave at their first meeting.

Honestly, Jack had been afraid she wouldn't come back. That her friendliness had all been some kind of cruel trick to lull him into a false sense of security. One really couldn't blame him for thinking so, considering the other seasonal spirit's less than warm welcomes.

But after two days, she'd returned just as she said she would, plummeting from the sky as a pile of leaves that formed into the familiar form of the fall female. Now here they were, about to play a question game, all of his worrying for naught.

"How long have you been alive?" Jack asked.

Aspen thought for a few moments, biting her lip a bit as she concentrated. "Since… Hm… 1620?"

"Wow, you're…" Jack did his own mental math, but gave up quickly. "Nearly a century older than I am."

"Guilty as charged… What's your favorite color?"

The boy didn't hesitate. "Blue. What's your favorite book?"

"Well, it's not technically a _book_, but it's one of Shakespeare's plays. The Comedy of Errors."

"I don't think I've read that one." Jack replied. To be honest, he couldn't recall reading _any_ books. His grasp on reading was fundamental at best, just enough for him to read shop signs or the occasional newspaper he managed to pick up.

"I think I have a copy of it… I don't know. I'll check. My turn… Erm… What's your favorite part about winter?"

"Easy" Jack leaned back on his hands. "Snowball fights"

Ash giggled. "Snowball fights are fun. Except when kids sneak rocks into them to be cruel." Her smile fell just a tad, but she physically shook her head to rid herself of the thought.

"What's your favorite part about fall?"

"Stealing questions now?" She rose a brow in mock offence. "But if it appeases you… I guess I'd say… Making the leaves change color."

Jack actually looked surprised. "That's you? I thought the trees just did that… naturally."

The spirit shrugged in response. "It snows whether or not you will it do so, correct? It is the same principle. The trees change on their own, but I help it along… Especially when I want to make them look _really_ beautiful."

"Huh, I hadn't thought of it that way."

"We may have control over our seasons, but to an extent, nature still controls _us_."

The two lapsed into silence for a few moments. Jack was mulling over what she had said as certain things started to click, while Aspen was staring at the blue sky above.

Jack Frost cleared his throat. "I think it's your question now."

"It is? Oh… right." She bit her lip, thinking. "Have you… met any of the other spirits? Other than Dawn and Primavera of course." She added quickly.

"Not really _met_, but I've seen a few around. The Easter Bunny, some of the tooth fairies, oh, and I found Santa's Workshop, but I couldn't get in."

"You tried to break into Santa's Workshop?" She whistled lowly, impressed. "Not many would even _try_. He's got so many wards set up even I wouldn't try."

"I'll get past them someday, just you wait."

The two shared a grin. "I'm sure you will. Okay, your question now."

Jack opened his mouth, but snapped it shut quickly. Ruffling his hair with a hand, he looked away.

Aspen frowned. "Jack?"

"I… have a question, but…"

"It's fine, go ahead." She urged.

It took two more tries for him to manage to get the words out of his mouth, Aspen's concern, curiosity, and wariness growing every moment he kept her in suspense.

Finally, he managed to blurt it out. "How were you born?"

Her eyebrows drew together and her face remained solemn, not an iota of mirth sparkling in her scarlet eyes. Seeing this, Jack kept talking, though rambling might be more accurate. "It's just, I remember waking up and not knowing everything and I was here, under this pond and… The Man in the Moon told me my name and that I was the Spirit of Winter, but _that's all_. You're older than I am and a seasonal spirit too, so I just, maybe… thought you might know? What I'm… why I'm here? Do you remember?"

Aspen's eyes drifted down to her lap, her silence continuing. Jack started to fidget in place and just as he was about to blurt out a similar, word vomit-like apology, she stood up.

"I… Have to get going." She mumbled.

"Wait!" Jack lunged forward to try to grab at her arm, to get her to _stay_, but she exploded into a cloud of leaves that slipped through his fingers like water that quickly reformed into a bird of prey. Desperately, he tried to call out as the feathered creature took off. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to pry! Just… Just _please_ come back!" Tears were stinging at his eyes as the shape finally disappeared. "I'm sorry… Please don't leave me alone again…"

* * *

Please don't burn me at the stake for making Jack cry. It'll all be well and good, I promise! Ash has issues of her own. Hedgehog obsessed elves notwithstanding.

And, to put things in perspective, here's a rough timeline

Ash "Born": 1620

Jack "Born": 1710

Ash and Jack Meet: 1800


	6. A Comedy of Errors

Well howdy there! It's been almost a month I think since the last update? Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I wanted to break up the last part of this chapter a bit more to transition into the next chapter... If that makes sense. It probably only makes sense in my head, but whatever.

Enjoy!

* * *

Toothiana flitted through the halls of the workshop. Every so often, the early morning light streaming in from one of the windows would catch on her iridescent feathers and make them practically shine. She had a small cloud of fairies with her, only a dozen or so, including Baby Tooth. The little fairy was ecstatic at the chance to see Jack again and there was no way Toothiana was going to deny her that. She'd actually arrived an hour or so earlier, joining the other Guardians in the spacious dining room while waiting for the two younger spirits to awaken.

North had sent Phil the Yeti to go get them. But they'd never come down. Exasperated, North asked her to try fetch them, giving her directions to the rooms they'd been assigned. Her pace suddenly stopped and she started to hover, looking curiously at the sight.

A group of five yetis were clustered around the doorway of Jack's room uncertainly, muttering to each other quietly and gesturing every so often inside. Phil was at the front of the group, looking the most wary.

"What's going on?" Toothiana asked.

The yetis merely parted silently, letting her see for herself.

She'd expected to see Jack curled up on the massive bed… but instead, the sheets were all still in pristine condition. Baby Tooth suddenly zipped past her shoulder and into the room, further towards the left. Toothiana reached out a hand in an attempt to stop her, but froze once she saw what Baby Tooth had seen.

Jack was indeed inside the room… leaning against a full grown grizzly bear.

The beast was fast asleep, as was its icy companion. Jack was in a rough sitting position, back against the bear's side, head tilted downwards.

The moment Baby Tooth placed a tiny hand on Jack's cheek, his head jerked up in surprise. Yawning, he scrubbed a hand over his eyes to clear his vision.

"Baby Tooth?" he asked, voice slurred slightly from sleep. "What're you doin' here?"

She chittered at him, smile wide as she made gestures with her hands.

"Okay, okay, yeah, I'm up, I'm up." He grumbled. To Tooth's shock, the first thing he did after standing up was to kick the bear softly in the side. "If I have to wake up, so do you."

The bear's whole body shifted, jaw opening wide in a terrifying yawn that showed off all its teeth. Blinking slowly a couple of times, it turned dewy eyes to Jack.

"Come on, I bet North has breakfast waiting. You like breakfast, don't you?"

The bear grumbled in response, rising slowly to its paws… and promptly exploded into multicolored leaves. Toothiana did the aerial equivalent of taking a startled step back.

Ash stretched her arms up over her head, her back popping slightly. Letting off another yawn, she silently started to follow Jack out of the room, slightly confused as to why all the yetis were staring at her.

North was a firm believer in the idea that a good meal could soothe any tensions, whether it be hunger pangs or figuring out where to start looking for a pair of rogue seasonal spirits with serious anger issues… The first one happened far more often than the second.

He'd waited until all the gathered Guardians were halfway through their meals (tailored to their own tastes, courtesy of the Yetis that ran the kitchen) before clearing his throat.

"So the search for Dawn and Primavera begins once again?"

"Looks that way, mate" Bunnymund replied immediately as he snapped a carrot in half with his teeth. "Jackie, you and the Sheila got any idea where they could be now?"

"Dawn's island was the only permanent place." Jack replied, a thoughtful look on his face. "But I don't think our input is going to matter. With Pitch involved…" He trailed off.

"Anything you can think of can help." Toothiana pointed out gently. "Anyplace they frequent more than others?"

Jack shrugged helplessly. "Like I said, Dawn's the only one with a permanent home, other than Ash of course."

Ash paused with a piece of toast halfway to her mouth, eyebrows crinkling together. "I do?"

Jack just looked at her expectantly until the memory finally sparked.

"Oh! I do!" Ash nodded eagerly as she set down her toast. "Primavera would want to stay in forested areas, she's a bit of a stickler about that kind of thing. Meadows and fields too."

"That doesn't narrow it down." Bunny deadpanned.

North stroked his white beard pensively. "At this rate… It seems we must play a waiting game. They are bound to act out soon, yes?"

"Definitely" Both seasonal spirits chorused. Jack grimaced while Ash took another bite of her toast. "Dawn's really impatient… Really puts the 'hot' in 'hot-headed'."

"And Primavera'll take her lead, unless her precious plants are threatened." Ash added with a mumble.

"It seems we have no choice then." North's tone was solemn. "We must wait."

{}

The winter spirit landed harshly in the snow bank next to his frozen pond. Usually, he would have made a graceful landing onto the ice itself, renewing the eternal ice and sending new patterns skittering across the frozen surface. But in the past few weeks, he couldn't bring himself to care.

He'd done his job, or at least what he _assumed_ his job was, spreading ice and snow across the globe. However, it was done with far less finesse and enthusiasm than he had before… well, before Aspen Smoke had run off.

Rubbing at his eyes, he debated whether he should settle down to take a nap or just fly off again. But his feet froze when his gaze lighted upon something sitting in the middle of his pond. Brow furrowed, he crept forward silently, bare feet sliding across the pond.

"What…?" He wondered aloud as he poked the object with his staff. The wrapping, some kind of brown fabric, folded back enough for him to figure out what the object was.

A book.

Bending down, he picked up the parcel and tore away the rest of the wrapping, revealing the dark green leather bound cover… as well as the title.

_Shakespeare's Complete Comedies_

He just stared at it for a few moments until a slow smile crept across his face. A bubble of laughter abruptly left his throat before he could stop it. Opening the cover eagerly, his excitement grew when he spotted an inscription written on the inside.

"_And this __our life, exempt from public haunt,  
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,  
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.__" _– _As You Like It, Act II, Scene 1, Line 15_

"Huh" It took Jack a few readings to realize why she had chosen _that_ quote. Letting his eyes drift up towards the half-moon shining above him, he smiled a little wider. "Guess I don't need you to tell me _everything_… but at least a few things would still be nice."

* * *

And Baby Tooth finally makes an appearance!

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a bit of a sucker for Shakespeare. Next time, we have the great 'waiting game' and Past Ash and Jack's inevitable reunion to look forward to!


	7. Jamie's New Favorite (Sorry, Jack)

I've had the first half of this chapter written for about a month before I managed to finally get the second half written up tonight. Don't you just love it when life gets in the way?

Enjoy the longest chapter of Nature's Wrath (Not going to lie, I just had to double check that's what the title of this story is called. I'm such a responsible writer.) yet at just over a couple thousand words. Not that long in the grand scheme of things, but I'm proud.

* * *

"THIS IS CHEATIN' AND YOU KNOW IT, FROST!" Bunny yelled, shaking his fist at the ice spirit who was floating above him.

Jack smirked before taking off, the wind bearing him further and further away.

Ash gave an amused chuckle as she knelt down at Bunny's feet and started to methodically chip away the ice that had frozen his feet to the ground. "He always cheats."

"Shoulda known he'd pull somethin' like this" He grumbled. With a sharp crack, one of his feet was free and he eagerly lifted it out of the ice and back into the air. The warm summer air was a welcome respite from the cold.

"He's just excited to see Jamie again." Ash offered, removing the last of the ice.

"You've met the Bennetts?" Aster's head cocked slightly to the side. He had originally intended to take off after Jack the moment he was free, but this train of conversation was proving much more interesting.

The fall spirit shook her head, messing up her ponytail in the process. Huffing slightly, she untied the strip of fabric keeping her hair up and started to retie it. "No, not yet. He's been wanting me to, but I just… haven't had time."

The Easter Bunny's brow furrowed a bit. Reaching forward, he started to pick a few errant sticks out of her hair she had missed. "You haven't had time? Or were you just usin' that for an excuse?"

She didn't dignify that with a response, which only made Aster's frown deepen.

"Kid-"

"Hey!" Jack called out suddenly, dropping down from the sky. "Ash, you weren't supposed to _help_ him!"

Ash shrugged, a massive grin plastered on her face as she turned to him. "Come on, he looked so… pathetic, I couldn't _not_ help him."

"You couldn't have not _not_ help him?" Jack bit back.

Bunny cleared his throat. "Alright, let's move on before you two break any more grammar rules beyond repair. I'm sure the Bennetts are getting' antsy waitin' for us." As he started bounding away on all fours with the two seasonal spirits close behind, he made a mental note to speak to Ash later.

She wasn't getting off that easy.

For the moment, the much older spirit pushed those thoughts away and focused on the impending visit to the Bennett household. He'd managed to visit a few times within the last couple of years after the incident with Pitch. Sophie was getting older, but she still had a fondness for the Easter Bunny. And Aster had to admit, he had a soft spot for the girl himself. After all, she'd been the first human child he'd really interacted with in centuries.

He had Jack to thank for that.

They had Jack to thank for a lot of things.

The pooka skidded to a halt on the familiar grassy lawn, careful to avoid the few outdoor toys scattered around. Before he could stretch up to his full height, he heard his name being screeched and found himself being tackled by a wild-haired Sophie Bennett.

"Well hey there, anklebiter" He grinned as he grabbed her around the middle and tossed her into the air, making her shriek in delight. Catching her easily, he hugged her for a moment before setting her back down on the ground.

"Missed you!" She said before starting to ramble nonsensically about what she'd been up to.

Jack was already laughing at his fellow Guardian's expense as he touched down, little spirals of frost tainting the greenery underneath his feet. He himself didn't have to wait long until Jamie burst out of the house.

Jack chuckled as he received a hug of his own from the boy. "Whoa, Jamie!" He exclaimed, drawing back. "Did you get taller?"

"Yeah!" The boy exclaimed brightly, nearly jumping up and down in excitement. "Half an inch! Mom says I'm going through a growth spurt."

"You'll be taller than Bunny at this rate!" Jack said brightly, making the boy's eyes widen in awe.

"You really think so?"

"Eat all your vegetables and you just might."

Jamie nodded enthusiastically.

It was the sound of soft giggling that reminded Jack of one of the major purposes of the visit. Looking behind him, he saw that Ash had a wide smile on her face as she watched the exchanges.

Jack leaned on his staff a little more as he turned back to Jamie. "I brought you a present."

"You did?" Jamie asked, looking genuinely confused. "But it's not my birthday!"

"Well, it's more of a… introduction." Jack corrected. "I want to introduce you to someone very special. She's a seasonal spirit, like me. She's also my big sister."

Jack didn't think Jamie's eyes could get any wider, but apparently the boy found a way. "Is she a winter spirit too? Does she like snowball fights? Can she-"

"Whoa, slow down there" Holding up his hands, Jack chuckled. "She's not a winter spirit, I have the monopoly on that _thank you very much_." He said proudly, puffing out his chest and striking a post to make the boy laugh again. "She's the fall spirit. She mostly deals with animals and changing leaves."

Ash cleared her throat loudly, voicing her displeasure.

"You can't deny it!" Jack bit back.

Ash opened her mouth to snap back with a witty retort, but her mouth closed with a soft click. She really couldn't deny it. Her powers over the season were far more… freeform than her fellow seasonal spirits. Dawn was in the same boat as her, really. Their influence wasn't nearly as straightforward as Jack and Primavera's on their respective seasons.

"Wow…" Jamie breathed out. "What's her name?"

"Aspen Smoke, but she prefers to be called 'Ash'." Jack said succinctly.

"Ash…" Jamie repeated, testing out the name. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a figure that he hadn't seen before. "Jack… Is that her?" He pointed directly at the fall spirit.

Jack nodded, thoroughly enjoying the dumbstruck look on his sister's face.

Jamie walked straight past Jack and up to the new spirit. "Wow… You're really pretty."

Her cheeks reddened at the unexpected compliment. "Er… Thank you, Jamie"

"You know my name?"

She nodded, finally smiling as she managed to recover from the shock of _finally being seen_. "Jack's told me a lot about you. His first Believer. Thank you, for believing in him."

"It was nothing." Jamie shrugged, trying to turn the conversation away from himself. "I have so many questions I want to ask you… Can you fly like Jack? How much older than him are you? Do you know the other Guardians?"

Ash's head was nearly spinning from the sudden onslaught of questions, but a lifetime of dealing with Jack had steeled her against such occurrences. "I can't fly with the Wind, but I do shapeshift into flying animals. I'm about a century older than Jack, and I do know the other Guardians. Bunny and I have been friends for a while. I knew Sandy before, but not quite so well, and I didn't meet Tooth or North until recently."

Jamie took a moment to register all of her answers. "You can _shapeshift_?!"

Fifteen feet away, Jack leaned over to Bunnymund. "Why do I get the feeling I've just been effectively replaced?"

{}

Ever since the collection of Shakespeare had appeared in the middle of his pond, more gifts had started to pop up, at least one every week. He'd gotten little wooden figurines of animals, a braided leather bracelet, and food from all over the world.

None of them were ever left with a note or any indication who they were from, but the faint scent of damp leaves and campfires that lingered around them was more than enough for him to tell.

Apparently Aspen had decided to make a crusade of apologizing for leaving abruptly through continued gift giving.

And no matter how hard he tried to catch his fellow spirit while she was around, he always _just_ missed her. The gifts were nice, but he'd forgiven her _months_ ago. But she wasn't giving him the chance to say so.

The chance finally came sooner than he had expected, as he had learned throughout the whole experience that Aspen was remarkably good at disappearing when she wanted to without leaving a single trace. Or at least… she was when she _wasn't_ loudly arguing with inanimate objects… Like she was now.

"Oh _don't _give me that look!" She was wagging her finger accusingly at the carved, grinning face of a Jack O' Lantern, candle flickering inside. "I know that look, that's the 'Why don't you just man up and talk to him?' look. But I'm not falling for your tricks, oh no sir."

Jack was torn between walking away from the strange sight completely and bursting out laughing as the fall spirit argued with a _pumpkin_ in the middle of his pond. Judging by the thing's position, it was meant to be his next gift.

"I think you'll be a fantastic present!" She continued, not missing a beat as her scarlet eyes narrowed accusingly. "Far better than talking to me at least! Another year or so of harmless gift giving and we'll be all… fine…" She trailed off as she finally noticed the smirking, white-haired spirit silently laughing at her from the tree line.

"Oh no, please continue" Jack urged, gesturing widely with his free hand and leaning against his staff. "I was enjoying the show thoroughly."

Aspen was turning an impressive shade of red that clashed horribly against her hair. "Er… How much of that did you hear?"

"I heard _everything_." He was grinning widely now.

She groaned and sank to the ground so she was splayed out on her back. Lifting up her head, she dropped it gently against the icy surface of the pond with a dull thud. "Of course you did."

"Hey, no need to sound so embarrassed." He floated over to her, hovering off to the side of her. "Though, I'm hoping that the pumpkin isn't _really_ alive or else I'd be worried about him looking up your skirt."

She giggled. "No, he's not alive. At least I don't think so… Jack insists that they aren't, but they do last forever. And I mean _forever_. I've got over a dozen of these things back at home because he keeps giving them to me. I thought you might like one."

Jack gasped and dropped to the ice next to her, feigning a wounded chest. "You've been seeing another Jack behind my back?!"

Her laughter intensified and she reached out with a bare foot to nudge him in the side. "If anything _you're_ the other Jack. Jack the Pumpkin King is the Spirit of Halloween. He's kinda like a strange uncle to me… I'll have to introduce you two, he loves pranks and tricks."

"Sounds like a good guy" Jack mused.

"He is." She affirmed. When Jack didn't answer right away, she continued. "Look, I just… want to say sorry. I shouldn't have run off like I did, I just…"

"No, no, it's my fault." Jack insisted. "I shouldn't have-"

"It's _not_ your fault." She insisted vehemently, interrupting him. Leaning back on her hands, she let her gaze drift up to the night sky. When Jack looked at her, the light from the Jack O' Lantern cast shadows across her skin and made her copper hair almost shimmer. "You… caught me off guard and I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. My… _birth_ as a spirit is still kind of a sore subject that I _really_ don't like talking about. I should have just told you that."

"Hey, it's no problem."

She looked over at him with a dubious look in her eyes.

"It really is!" The sincerity in his tone made her relax just a tiny bit more. "I mean, I was… pretty upset when you just left like that." He paused a bit as he sat up, deciding whether or not he wanted to reveal more. Seeing the concerned look in her eyes, he opted to risk it. So far, this strange, absentminded, fall spirit had shown him nothing but the kindness he'd been missing from his long life. "I didn't think you were ever going to come back."

"Oh, Jack…"

Jack suddenly found himself wrapped up in a hug.

His first hug ever, in fact.

His hands hovered uncertainly away from her for a moment before he finally laid them on her back. When she wasn't showing signs of letting go anytime soon, he snaked his arms more firmly around her and squeezed for all he was worth. Leaning forward, he buried his face into her neck as he felt tears start to spring into his eyes.

"I'm not going to leave you alone again." Aspen murmured. "I promise you that."

Jack smiled into her shoulder. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Apparently Aspen sounds like a parody of Suddenly Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors. And speaking of horrors, yes, I made Jack Skellington a thing. He's a bit different, but I'm sure that North will still dislike him for some past transgression. Definitely looking forward to that in the future.

'Til next time!


	8. How I Met Your Easter Bunny

And now presenting, the continued adventures of two immature seasonal spirits with serious abandonment issues.

* * *

"Can you turn into a bear?"

"Yes."

"What about a hawk?"

"Yes."

"A rabbit?"

"Yes."

"A… wolverine?"

"Yes."

"A wolf?"

"Yes."

"What about-"

Jack finally decided to take pity upon his older sister from the constant onslaught of Jamie's questions and finally piped up. "She can turn into any animal she wants. She does have favorites, though."

Ash mouthed a 'thank you' at her brother while Jamie was briefly turned away.

The young boy was appeased for the moment, but she could tell by the way he was fidgeting, he was coming up with a slew of new questions to ask her. Or he already had a list and was just trying to figure out which one to ask first.

"I think I'd like to hear more about you." Ash suggested before he could pose another inquiry. "What's your favorite subject in school?"

"Oh, science, definitely" Jamie grinned broader than he had been before. "We're studying rocks and fossils in class. Next week we're going on a field trip to the museum!"

"Well that sounds exciting. I love going to museums. And Jack does too." She leaned in conspiratorially, stage whispering. "Jack's actually really smart, but he doesn't like to brag."

Jack was blushing blue at this point. "Hey, I'm not _that_ smart. Just your average… smart." He protested.

"He's lying because he doesn't want to ruin his reputation." She added, making Jamie giggle. "Jack Frost is supposed to cancel school, not attend it." She mocked, dropping her voice an octave lower and sending Jamie into a fit of laughter that made him fall backwards onto the grass.

"Very funny" The winter spirit deadpanned.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Jamie suddenly sat up. "You two should come on our field trip with my class!" The two seasonal spirits traded looks, but the boy continued. "It'll be so much fun! And you guys have _lived_ through history so you'll know so much more!"

"How old do you think we are?" Jack asked, looking a little offended. "You want ancient, look to Bunny over there."

"I 'eard that!" Bunny called over from where he was playing hide and seek with Sophie… and his shout immediately gave away his position. A squealing Sophie made a beeline for the source of the voice and a quiet 'bugger' emanated from the bush he'd been hiding behind.

"It'd be so much fun!" Jamie clasped his hands together and turned on the full force of his puppy dog eyes. "_Please!"_

Ash was the first one to break. "Okay… fine. We'll go on your field trip. Just tell us the time and place and we'll be there."

"Yes! Thank you!" The boy scrambled forward and threw his arms around the female spirit's waist, hugging her tightly for a moment before letting go and tackle-hugging Jack. The hug quickly turned into a tickle fight that put all of Jamie's attention on Jack.

Ash was sitting completely dumbstruck as Bunnymund padded over towards her, Sophie dangling from one of his arms.

"You alright there?" He asked, an amused look on his face. When she didn't immediately respond, he kept talking. "I never thought that your one weakness would be _hugs_. I'll _definitely_ have to try that in our next sparrin' session."

She shot him a glare as she shook herself out of her stupor. "He just… surprised me is all."

"Sure he did."

Ash was about to respond with a scathing comment when she suddenly felt a tug on her hair. Turning slightly, she saw Sophie standing behind her, handfuls of her copper hair in her grip. "Pretty"

Her ire immediately softened.

"You were saying?" Bunny prompted.

{}

"There's a _what_ in the tunnels?!" E. Aster Bunnymund shouted, green eyes blazing at the massive stone guardian eggs that had toddled up to him.

One of the eggs made a 'sorry' motion with its oblong body, stepping aside to admit entrance into the tunnel.

The tunnel that an intruder had somehow managed to break into. Bunnymund could count on one paw how many times someone had actually managed to get into his tunnels. They were meant for letting things out, not letting things in. Growling, he bounded forward without another word, easily picking up the foreign scent along the path he'd been directed.

It was a strange smell, almost like a campfire, but… not in the 'burn the forest to the ground' kind of way. Smells were difficult to explain sometimes as they definitely reflected the person that they belonged to. The dirt underneath his feet turned up in massive clouds as he tore forwards, getting closer and closer to the intruder. Finally, he turned the last bend… and skidded to a stop.

Sitting in the middle of the path, blinking up at him with innocent amber eyes… was a cat. A little tabby cat, in fact, that was remarkably out of place.

"… How did…?" He looked up to see that part of the tunnel above was semi-collapsed. Somehow, this cat had managed to fall through the ground and into one of his tunnels. "You really got yourself in quite a bit of trouble, didn't you- SON OF A-!"

Bunny screeched in surprise and immediately drew his boomerangs, taking a few startled steps backwards. Where once there had been a cat, there was now a young woman in her late teens, staring at him with burning red eyes.

"I… seem to be lost." She said slowly, an English accent tinging her words, looking around her surroundings with a confused look. She turned back towards him, her head tilted slightly to the side. "Can you tell me where I am?"

Lowering his boomerangs slightly, but still wary, Bunny crept forward a bit more. "Yer in my tunnels. And I have no idea how you bloody went and fell in."

Scratching at the back of her head sheepishly, she shuffled a bit in place. "Sorry, but… who are you?"

"E. Aster Bunnymund… The Easter Bunny" He introduced, weapons dropping just a bit more. Bunny liked to think that he'd developed a knack for reading people over his years living on Earth… and he wasn't picking up any hostile intentions from the confused redhead. "And who are you?"

She grinned suddenly, opening her mouth to say something… then abruptly snapped it shut with a soft click. Biting her lip, her brow furrowed slightly. "Uh… Oh! My name is Aspen. Aspen Smoke. I'm the fall spirit."

"The… fall spirit." Bunny repeated slowly as he finally slipped his boomerangs back into their sheaths. "That still doesn't answer why you're _here_."

Aspen huffed and crossed her arms. "I honestly couldn't tell you if I tried. I'm just lucky I remembered my name this time."

All he could do was just… _stare_ at her for a few moments.

Clearing his throat, he finally spoke, breaking the tentative silence that had settled over the duo. "Yer… nothing like yer sisters."

She blushed a little, her tense posture relaxing slightly. "I'll go ahead and take that as a compliment… uh… sorry, what's your name again?"

"Bunnymund"

"Right" Aspen nodded to herself, reciting the name a few times under her breath to try to ingrain it into her memory. "So you've met Dawn and Prima?"

"Unfortunately" The grimace on his face only further proved his dislike for the two. "They're both complete nutters. Well… you seem to have that in common. Is it a familial trait?" He asked with a grin, making her blush a little harder.

"That wasn't very nice… uh…"

"Bunnymund." He provided again, letting out a bit of a frustrated huff.

"Bunnymund" Aspen finished.

Sighing and dropping his ears, he scrubbed a paw over his face in frustration. "Look, I can't have you wandering around in my burrow, so… do you have a home or something I can drop you off at?"

"I… think I do?" She bit her lip a little as she tried to recall. Suddenly, she brightened and dug into a pocket of her dress that was nearly invisible, pulling out a piece of parchment that was nearly falling apart it had been folded and refolded so many times. Opening it, she revealed a map of what was obviously England. There was a distinct red 'x' marring the black and white image of the country's outline. At first glance, he couldn't recall any major landmarks or anything of real importance in that specific location.

"Is that where you live?" He asked, gesturing at the 'x'.

"Uh… yes and no." She admitted. "That's where I _get_ to where I live."

Understanding dawned across his features as he leaned back. "Ah. Well, I can get ya there easy. As long as ya can keep up with the likes of me." He grinned widely.

She tucked her map back into her pocket before suddenly exploding into a small whirlwind of leaves. Nearly as soon as she'd disintegrated, the leaves reformed into the shape of a coyote.

His smile fell along with his ears, eyes narrowing. "… Now that's just mean."

* * *

Fun fact... coyotes eat rabbits. I thought dingo would be a _little_ too on the nose. Maybe I'll save that for next time. And for those concerned (namely a certain reviewer who brought it up), Jack is still Jamie's favorite. Jamie will eventually learn that Ash doesn't let Jack get away with _everything_. It's just part of being an older sister. : )

Hope you all have a wonderful day!


	9. Mission: Highly Probable

Well, it's certainly been awhile hasn't it? I've had this chapter in the works for way longer than I expected. I even had it completely outlined and everything! But here we are, finally finished and the longest chapter to date.

Also, shortly before this chapter was finished (and now posted), I went back and edited the first few chapters. The first chapter has been overhauled, as I felt that I could do much better after more years of writing experience. I also want to avoid putting myself into some serious plot hole territory, which I was in danger of reaching, so check that out! The second and third chapters have just had the formatting fixed so that it's uniform throughout the story.

Anyway, on with the newest chapter!

* * *

Something had been off with Ash.

As of late, she'd been more withdrawn, less receptive to his banter, and her bouts of forgetfulness had become more frequent.

Most who didn't know him that well would think that Jack was naïve, aloof, or that he was just plain oblivious to most things. His body may have been frozen into the form of a fifteen year old boy, but he still had centuries of experience and acquired wisdom rattling around in his brain. On top of that, he knew his sister better than he probably knew himself.

Still, he didn't know what the cause of her sudden change of demeanor. But if there was one thing he did know how to do, it was cheer someone up.

"You want to _what_?" The fall spirit's crimson eyes were wide as Jack merely stood in front of her, a smirk on his face.

"Break into North's Workshop and prank the yetis. I think I deserve a little revenge for them stuffing me into a sack and kidnapping me."

She blinked twice. "But… You've never succeeded before!"

"Yeah, well, now I've actually been inside." Jack reminded. "As have you. And now there's both of us working together."

"First of all, the only reason I was able to get past North's wards the first time was because of my connection to you-"

"Which means that the both of us together can break in easy!" He interjected, grinning broadly.

Ash still wasn't budging on the subject. "That's _not_ how it works and you know it."

Knowing that logos wasn't going to sway this argument in his favor, Jack went for good old pathos. Jutting out his bottom lip slightly and opening his blue eyes as wide as they would go, he started to plead. "_Please_ Ash? Pretty please? Please be the best big sister ever and help the little brother you love more than life itself break into the home of a beloved legendary figure and prank his workers?"

She crossed her arms, determined not to break… but then his lip started to quiver and he clasped his hands together. Groaning, she slammed her face into her hands. "You and your puppy dog eyes… Fine!" She sighed, thoroughly exasperated by Jack's antics. "Fine, we'll… we'll break into North's workshop. But you owe me one."

"Deal!" He immediately agreed. "Now change down already so we can go!"

Rolling her scarlet eyes, Ash complied with his request. Moments later, she had taken the form of a golden eagle. Fluffing her feathers, she stretched out her wings and flapped a few times to get into the air. This form was her preferred one for long distance journeys, especially when she was taking those trips with Jack.

Early into their friendship (and later, siblinghood) they had discovered a mutual love for flying and started going on flights together whenever they could. It had taken a fair bit of experimentation to find the right form that could easily keep up with Jack, but now she could keep up with him easily.

Jack took the lead, waiting only a moment for her to catch up before he spurred the wind to increase their speed and take them to North's Workshop.

One magically shortened flight later, and the two seasonal spirits were carefully perched outside of one of the windows of the workshop, the warm orange glow from inside flickering across their faces.

"Did he…? Did he key the wards to our signature?" Ash asked, completely puzzled as she laid a hand on the glass. There was no resistance, no magical shocks, and no sudden burst of repulsion that would have sent her flying backwards.

"Did I forget to mention that?" Jack grinned at her.

She just gave him a _look_.

"What? We can still break in. I've done it loads of times. It's fun."

Shaking her head, she pressed her hands a little harder against the glass and the entire frame swung open. Apparently coating your home in wards meant that locking windows was an unnecessary practice. Jack jumped down into the abandoned sitting room first, with Ash close behind. Neither of them made any sound as their bare feet made contact with the carpet.

The two hadn't made it very far in their quest. Their intention had been to find a nice hiding spot in the rafters and have a very one-sided snowball fight with the yetis and the elves running around the workshop. They'd even come up with an entire point system based on how many they hit, where they hit, and the reactions of their targets.

But Phil had found them first.

Just as Jack and Ash had been about to clamber up to the eaves of the massive room, a massive hand had curled around each of their ankles before pulling them and dangling them upside down in front of the face of an unamused yeti.

"Hey, Phil" Jack grinned weakly. "Uh… long time no see?"

"Hwat od uyo hitnk rou'ye ingdo?" He grumbled, his green eyes boring into them.

"Nothing?" Jack immediately denied. "Just visiting, you know? Seeing how everything was going…"

Ignoring her for the moment, Jack kept his face as unthreatening and open as he could under Phil's scrutiny. The yeti was peering at them both intently, his gaze switching between the two before coming to a conclusion. "Hen'ws het ltas miet uyo tae?"

"What did he say?" Ash asked.

"He wants to know when we last ate."

Scrunching up her nose in thought, she shook her head. "Can't remember. You?"

"Me neither"

Letting out a scandalized gasp, Phil immediately dropped them to the ground. It was only a quick reaction from Jack and his wind that kept them from landing face first on the stone floor. Apologizing profusely, Phil scooped them back up and tucked them under either arm like they were luggage before carrying them out of the room.

Two hours later, when North retired to the kitchen for a much-needed hot cocoa break, he was greeted with the sight of two seasonal spirits mid-food fight with several different yeti and a small horde of elves underfoot.

"Great Tchaikovsky…" He said under his breath, his blue eyes wide at the culinary carnage. "What has caused_ this_?" Despite his words, his tone betrayed his amusement.

There was a sudden chorus of 'They started it', both in English and Yeti as both guilty parties placed blame on the other. North merely chuckled as he strode forward and picked a stray piece of candy cane out of Jack's hair, ruffling it slightly.

"I am truly sorry to have missed such a grand battle." He grinned as he picked up a napkin and wiped away a smear of frosting on Ash's cheek. "Next time, you must send for reinforcements! Us spirits have to stick together, yes?"

Jack chuckled and stuck out his tongue at North, while Ash was visibly embarrassed from his attempts to clean off her face.

"Now, did you two manage to actually eat anything?" North asked, once he was satisfied that the two were at least semi-presentable. With an effortless movement, he flipped the carved, wooden, kitchen table that the two teens had been using as a barrier back to its normal position.

It was Phil who answered (while he was desperately trying to comb crumbs out of his fur), telling him that the fight had started mere moments after food had been set in front of them.

"Well, we can't let you two go hungry! George, would you-"

North was cut off as the mahogany-furred yeti in question slammed two plates laden with mashed potatoes, chicken, and broccoli in front of the two, glaring at them until they started to eat. Clearing his throat, North took a seat himself at the table.

"You two eat like rabid wolves." He chided, watching the spirits tear at the meat with their teeth, completely ignoring the provided knife. He was thankful they were at least using forks.

"Sorry, it's been a while since we've eaten at an actual table." Jack apologized, immediately slowing down and adjusting his manners. His sister however, made a low (and scarily perfect) wolf growl in her throat and snapped her teeth, eyes sparkling with humor. Shaking his head slightly, Jack shoved the knife in her hand. She stuck her tongue out at him, but obliged (albeit reluctantly).

North found the whole situation both heartwarming and a little confusing. "It seems like Jack is the older sibling rather than yourself, Ash."

Jack immediately leapt to his sister's defense, knowing she wouldn't say a word about it. "It's really more of a… twin thing. I mean, age is kinda irrelevant for us anyway, right?" Ash nodded and he continued to ramble, his meal forgotten for the moment. "We take care of each other, we have for years, but sometimes we're both… mutually irresponsible. Though that's not really Ash's fault, she's just… forgetful." He shot a sheepish look at her, but she didn't seem to mind the comment.

Ash was well aware of her memory lapses and she wasn't ashamed of them… most of the time, anyway.

"Well now you have Guardians!" North smiled wide, hands waving enthusiastically. "We will all make sure you stay… mutually _responsible_! Why, I am sure that Tooth would be more than willing to help you with your memory, Ash!"

"She would?" It was Jack who had spoken, as his sister had merely widened her eyes slightly in response.

"Of course!" North continued, stroking his beard. "She is Guardian of Memory, _da_? It is her specialty!"

"That's amazing!" Turning to look at her, Jack grinned. "Don't you think so?"

The fall spirit didn't reply right away. Instead, she poked at her remaining food with her fork before letting out a deep sigh, her shoulders hunching slightly. "She won't be able to help."

Shaking his head slightly, North insisted. "Tooth is very good at what she does. She's helped many a spirit with their memories at one time or another. She will find problem and fix it!"

"I know why I'm like this."

Jack's breath actually caught in his throat and if he had the ability to physically _be_ any paler, his face would have blanched from shock. "You… _know_? But you always told me that-"

"It's not something she can fix." Ash continued, eyes still glued to her plate. "And I… don't really want to talk about it." To emphasize her point, she stuffed the remaining piece of chicken in her mouth and refused to make eye contact.

Jack opened his mouth to question her, but ultimately decided to keep his silence, at least for now.

{}

"Why haven't you decorated yet?" Jack asked as he looked around the living room, a little surprised to see not even a single strand of garland strung up anywhere.

"I haven't?" Poking her head out from the doorway, Aspen cast her gaze around. "Right, I haven't. Well, I guess we'll have to do that too."

"You don't even have a Christmas tree!" He pointed out as she retreated back into the kitchen.

"I've never had one."

"What? Why not?"

"It seemed a little odd to put a tree inside of a tree."

Jack couldn't find fault in her logic, considering she was right. This was his second time visiting Aspen's home and it was no less impressive. It wasn't overly grand, nor elaborate. The walls weren't lined with gold or vast tiled murals, nor was the décor overly seasonal. It was just a _home_. Cozy rooms with fireplaces that lit themselves, knitted blankets hanging off of most every worn piece of furniture, simple paintings and little knickknacks set up on shelves lining the walls, and every little imperfect touch made it no less than perfect to Jack.

Of course, the fact that the entire house was impossibly fit into a sprawling oak tree that had an intricately carved red door setting at the base as the only entrance betrayed it as nothing less than the home of a powerful spirit.

"We'll still have to get one." Jack pointed out as he pondered where to put the tree. "Where else will Santa put our presents?"

"A good question" Aspen admitted as she finally emerged from her kitchen with a tray bearing steaming mugs and a handful of muffins. "I guess we'll have to make some decorations for the tree too."

Despite the fact that they'd been friends for five years now, this was their first time celebrating Christmas (or Yule, as Aspen continued to insist) together. In the years prior, a slew of excuses had kept them from celebrating, from seasonal duties to Aspen just straight up losing track of time and forgetting about the holiday completely. But this time, they were both determined to celebrate… at least as best they could.

The first step was decorating appropriately for the season.

Even though they were literally in the middle of a forest, finding a good enough Christmas tree was their most difficult task. They'd ended up having to leave the pocket dimension where Aspen's home was completely to find an evergreen tree, and then haul it all the way back. Aspen had been forced to take the form of a massive bear to carry it back, with Jack keeping the load steady.

From there things went a little smoother, mostly due to Jack's powers. He meticulously formed ornaments and garlands of icicles that wouldn't melt. Aspen had collected some stray branches cluttering the floor of her forest and woven them into the rough shape of a star for the top of the tree.

"It's perfect." Jack grinned as he stood next to Aspen in front of their newly decorated Christmas tree. The flickering light from the nearest fireplace illuminated the ice decorations perfectly, and he had no doubt that it would look just as stunning with daylight streaming through the windows.

"What's next?" She asked, silently agreeing with his assessment.

"… Letters to Santa?"

After she had scrounged up paper and writing utensils for the both of them, they'd both sat down on the middle of her floor in front of the tree and started to meticulously write out their letters. Jack went through multiple drafts until he was satisfied, while Aspen merely crossed things out and kept writing on the same paper. By the end, Jack's was neat and tidy while Aspen's was a nearly unintelligible smear of ink. Jack had begged her two rewrite it, not wanting to give Father Christmas himself a negative impression, but she'd refused.

Instead she'd sent him off to mail the letters in a nearby town (which basically just consisted of him slipping the letters into an unsuspecting mail person's bag while they were on their rounds) while she proclaimed she was going to knit a couple of stockings.

When he'd returned from his adventure, she'd managed to cobble together one stocking in blue and white and another in red and orange with remains from other knitting projects. They were irregularly shaped and patchwork, with their names both stitched on in badly cut cloth, but he loved them the same. He hung them both over the main fireplace with pride.

On Christmas Eve, the two had gone their separate ways for the day so they could get presents for the other in secret. Jack had no idea what Aspen was planning for him, but his own idea didn't require him to travel too far. In fact, he made his gift for the fall spirit on the roof of the church in the nearest town.

That night, they both curled up on an improvised nest of blankets and pillows on the floor in front of the Christmas tree in the hopes that they'd at least be able to catch a glimpse of Santa himself.

Jack blearily opened his eyes as the first streams of sunlight filtered in through the nearest windows and hit his face. The moment he realized that it was in fact morning, he jumped to his feet, throwing all of the blankets off of him.

"It's Christmas!"

"Yule!" Aspen immediately corrected as she too popped up from her sleeping place, bleary eyed and her hair a bird's nest. Rubbing her face to try to wake herself up a little more, she grinned as Jack immediately bounced over to the fireplace and tore the two bulging stockings off of the mantle.

Handing hers over, Jack immediately dumped it out to see what he'd been given… only for a small pile of coal to spill onto the carpet, staining it with soot.

"What?"

Aspen blinked a couple of times in surprise before upending her own, creating a second pile of coal. "I guess we're _both_ on the Naughty List…"

"I didn't even know that spirits could _get_ on the Naughty List…" Jack admitted. Aspen did _not_ like the dejected tone in his voice.

"Hey, none of that" She scooted over to him and pulled him into a hug. "St. Nick's going to pay for making my little brother sad on Yule." She muttered, obviously not intending to be heard.

But Jack _definitely_ heard her. He didn't say anything, merely smiling and hugging her a little tighter.

"Besides, I'm sure my present for you is going to be better than whatever Santa could've picked." Aspen bragged as she drew back.

Nodding eagerly, Jack scrambled towards the tree and retrieved the two wrapped presents that lay there. Once was in simple brown paper while the other seemed to be a box covered in leaves. It was no question which package belonged to who. Handing over her present, Jack settled back down cross-legged on the floor across from her with his own gift sitting on his lap.

"You go first." He instructed.

Aspen didn't even try to restrain her grin as she ripped away the brown paper to reveal… a still wrapped box in white paper this time. Rolling her eyes slightly, she tore away the second layer of wrapping and opened the box. Her breath caught in her throat and her scarlet eyes widened in surprise. Gently, she reached out and grasped the item inside, lifting it into the light. A perfect, orange maple life frozen in ice was perched perfectly on the bed of a comb, the teeth made of the same ice.

"It'll never melt." Jack explained, a little unnerved by her silence.

Suddenly, Aspen was blinking back tears as she held it out to him. "Help me put it on?"

Relieved that she actually enjoyed his gift, he took the hairpiece from her and stuck it carefully into her locks.

"How do I look?"

In truth, he didn't think he'd ever seen her less put together than he did at that moment. Her hair was a mess, her night dress was ruffled and stained with soot at the hem and knees, and her cheeks were starting to turn red and blotchy.

"Pretty as a painting" He said instead.

"Now you open yours." She said as she scrubbed at her face to try to stem the flow of happy tears.

Eagerly, Jack tore away all of the leaves and practically threw the lid of the box away from him. He was confused for a moment as he just saw a bundle of cloth. But then he pulled the gift out of the box, revealing a crisp, white button down, a pair of smart grey pants, and an embroidered cobalt blue waistcoat.

"I thought you could use a nice change." She supplied. "I know you're attached to your cloak and the rest of your clothes, but… if you keep wearing them they're going to fall apart. This way you can put them away safely somewhere and they won't get destroyed."

"Where did you…? Where did you even get these? Did you make them?" He asked.

Aspen barked out a laugh. "No, no, definitely not. I can knit and that's about it. These were made by a friend whose far better at sewing than I could ever hope to be. She makes all of my clothes."

Setting the new outfit back into the box, Jack tackled Aspen with a hug. "Thank you so much, Aspen"

"Happy Yule, Jack"

"Merry Christmas"

* * *

*Whistle Noise* You hear that? That's the Angst Train pulling into the station.

And nothing says "Halloween" like a Christmas chapter! Next Chapter: Finally we get to the parts with Pitch.

Hope you enjoyed!


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